The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-11
A THIRSTY PARADISE.
A Tropical Glen In the Middle the Colorado
Desert.

tropical Glen In the Middle OF the Colorado
Desert.
San Francisco Argonauts
In the middle of the Colorado desert there is
curious depression in the earths surface.
through which the southern Pacific Railroad
level, and here is great body of salt, more pure
than any known to commerce. and in an album
dance that may supply the world if all other
sources should be exhausted. From q point on
the road called Indlo the descent is rapid to this
place OF salt 1t was once inland sea, from
by evaporation, leaving a salt deposit that
sembles ice. Standing upon its margin, we look
upon perfectly level and white crust of salt,
some 30 OF 40 miles in length by perhaps
20 in width. A tramway is laid
the crust to a distance of more than
mile. over which a steam dummy and train of
freight cars run TO the mill where the salt is
ground. Beyond the mill a smaller engine
pushes its smaller cars further ont upon the salt
crust where the salt is gathered. The process
Of collecting is very simple. Laborers. provided
each with wheelbarrow, shovel and adze, 60 out
upon the salt-feld. pick the surface to the depth
of an inch or two gather barrow loads, and
wheel them to the cars This salt crust varies
in thickness; in some places 1t is but few inches
above the mud and water. and in places
nearly five feet in thickness. Liverpool salt
must be kiln-dried before being ground. Nature
sends this TO the mill dry that it may be
ground as fine as flour. At the mill it is bagged
and marked for shipment. and is ready for table
dairy This salt is 80 per cent. pure and is
placed upon the market as "New Liverpool" 1t
is undoubtedly the best and purest salt in the
market.
1t is on the rising slope from this salt mine.
of the great Colorado desert, that the Southern
Pacific people have struck ar.esian water AT
depth Of $50 feet flow of !. 800 gallons hour
has been brought to the surface The bore is
being pushed downward for further demonstra-
ton. The discovery of artesian water has
caused the location of about two townships of
land, which is Of good soil, being covered with
growth Of mesquite shrubbery and weeds.
At the station, 'Indio." where the company had
found water for train use by pumping. there is
growth of pepper. locust, cotton wood and palm
trees all doing we'll and attaining great growth
Grapes, watermelons, tomatoes roses, geran-
iums and morning glories are there seen in -four
ishin e condition. Grapes and watermelons will
ripen this month of June.
The gentlemen who have located this tropical
Eden will experiment in the direction of tropical
productions. Already they talk Of cotton, coffee
and tobacco. That it will produce better
anges than San Bernardino or Riverside they do
not doubt. San Francisco is to receive from this
sweet-potatoes. Only few miles from the line
OF the road is a grove of 1000 date palms, reach
ing great height, and bearing the real but very
small and inferior date. The foot hills are
skirted all along with these palm trees. In these
mountains, it is said. are productive valleys we'll
supplied with water, but it sinks when it touch
es the level of the plain. This is marvellous
and wonderful land and nothing caused
the writer greater surprise than the soil aud
water discoveries constantly being made in these
oesert places. Places that ara very inaccessi-
BILE, that embedded in mountain canyons
and away from civilization becoming the
luxurious homes of industrious and enterpris-
ing people who have the nerve to go some
what beyond the confines and boundaries of
present "genteel" life. What Gods blessing
it would be to the members of Henry Georges
antipoverty party if some kind. powerful genie
would clothe them all. and then lift them up
out of the city slums, tenement-h houses, poll
tics, gin, idleness and crime, into these noun
tain and desert homes whore poverty is only
known and destitution only felt by those who
are unable unwilling to toll